It is well known that the sport of bicycling, including the use of bicycles for everyday transportation, is enjoying a substantial rise in popularity. Driving this phenomenon is the rising expense of using automobiles, including high parking costs, congestion on the highways and city streets, concerns of pollution and, last but not least, the ever important health benefits one obtains from riding a bicycle. As a result of the increase in popularity, manufacturers are producing better, more efficient, more versatile and, of course, more costly bicycles. As is also well known, bicycles are favorites of thieves for a number of reasons, one being the value thereof. To combat this problem, a quick-release front wheel was developed to enable the owner to lock the major components of the bicycle together into a compact package, with a short sturdy chain wrapped around a post or the like. The wheel is released by loosening the quick release nuts securing the wheel axle in the drop-out slots found in the free ends of each prong on the fork. Whereas this solution has proved very useful, it has been found that tips at the distal end of the front fork would become damaged through repeated and sometimes violent engagement with the ground, generally concrete. This problem has been attacked by one worker in the field who has proposed a fork protector adapted to be interposed between the front fork and the ground. The fork protector, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,204, comprises a plate having one edge for being received in the drop-out slots and a bottom edge for resting on the ground. Further, the bottom edge is curved so that the protector would tend to remain in the slots should the bicycle be tipped. A dense shock absorbing material attached to the bottom edge protects the plastic protector from being chipped. As an additional embodiment, the protector is provided with reflective material on the plate and means for attaching the protector to the spokes of the wheel for use during times when it is not being used as a fork protector.
Whereas the above described fork protector does provide protection to the fork, it has several disadvantages. First, it requires installing and removing from the fork end each time it is used. If not used as a reflective device, it must be stored somewhere else on the bicycle or on the rider during times the bicycle is being ridden. It is easily stolen if not chained to the front fork during use. It is also easily lost inadvertently.
Accordingly, it is now proposed to provide a protector permanently attached to the front fork which protects the ends of the fork when the front wheel is removed but does not have the above mentioned disadvantages.